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Moving into an older home can add a nice touch of history and character to the home’s routine. (Think: turn the original brass doorknob to enter your apartment, use the century-old railing to climb up and down the stairs, or warm up next to the original marble fireplace, a decade-long dream. The list like follows.)
But moving into a house that’s decades or even centuries old means you’ll have to contend with outdated designs and “upgrades” that have been crafted over time and that don’t significantly match the aesthetics of your dream home. It also means that you must But as this kitchen renovation proves, it’s possible to pay homage to a home’s history while giving a space a welcome modern update with a little ingenuity.
DIYer Morgan Pinch (@pinch_mor) This house was built in 1912. But thanks to updates by the previous owner over the past 111 years, by the time she moved in, her kitchen had mostly retained her ’80s influence, from beige tile and granite to cherry wood cabinets. It had become what I received.
There were parts of her that wanted to retain some historical charm, and parts that were less attractive. “I loved the layout and was hooked.” [the] It’s the stained glass window over the sink,” Morgan explains. “I didn’t like how dark the kitchen felt, despite the multiple windows and overhead lights.”
With the help of her parents, Vicky and Clayton Pinch, Morgan set out to bring the kitchen into the 21st century with a few fresh paint colors to make the room feel lighter while keeping the original layout intact. bottom.
First, the trio unscrewed the front of the cabinet and removed all the hardware. After thoroughly cleaning the cabinet surfaces, they were de-glazed and primed for a new coat of paint. After a thorough sanding (which Morgan says took “infinitely longer” than originally expected), it was finally time to repaint the cabinets in the new colors Morgan chose. The upper cabinet was Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee and the lower cabinet was Hunter Green. .
For the latter colors, I was partly inspired by stained glass windows, but I also used another handy tool for choosing paints. If, like Morgan, you’re ready to paint but can’t pinpoint the exact color of paint you want to add, consider using a paint service or paint company that provides swatches to which you can send peel-and-stick paint samples. It is recommended. We’ll send you an email to help you imagine shade for your home. Morgan used a sampling service called Samplelize, which she calls a “game changer.”
“[It helped] I choose a color and get an idea of what it looks like in profile on the front of the cabinet — [I] I highly recommend it because if you don’t like the color you choose, you don’t have to go through the resanding and priming process,” Morgan added.
Got another new favorite DIY tool? The handheld paint sprayer she bought for the occasion.
“It was a quick learning curve, with very little learning curve,” Morgan points out. “Best Investment Ever”
With the paint done, all that was left for Morgan, Vicky and Clayton was to install the new hardware. Morgan got what he found from Amazon for “a fraction of the price” of similar items sold at home improvement stores and designer brands.
Thanks to Morgan and her family’s DIY efforts and Amazon’s cost-effectiveness, the entire process cost just $300. But the difference a cabinet change can make to an entire kitchen cannot be underestimated.
“What used to be a functional eyesore in my home is now a wonderful space that feels brand new,” says Morgan. “It still works, but it’s a lot brighter.”
Inspired? Submit your own project here.
